Hello!

FelidLover

FelidLover

Well-Known Member
Hey everyone,

I just joined today - so hello!
I'm a 2nd year student studying a degree in Animal Management but specializing in companion and zoo animals (of course!) in Essex, UK.
Just wanted to introduce myself really!

I've just submitted my research proposal for my dissertation which is going to be on Andean/Spectacled Bears if anyone is interested or has any useful information or anything like that!

Hope to get to know lots of you! :)

Christel
 
Glad to have you. We have two andean bears at my zoo (Reid Park Zoo, Tucson, USA) who have had two different cubs in the past. Not sure that will be of much help, but I have photos if you need them. I also have photos of a somewhat reddish morph andean bear at the National Zoo and a semi-leucistic andean bear (completely white face and white front paws) at the Houston Zoo.
 
Thankyou to both of you! Glad I found this site (by accident!)

Strangely enough, I intend to visit the US in the next couple of years and Tucson (amongst other places in Arizona) is on my list (various reasons)!

Anyway..ooh that's quite interesting re: colours - photos would definitely be good to see.
I'm actually studying "natural enrichment", enclosure usage and also looking at the interaction between the bears and other species in their exhibit (mixed species exhibit at the zoo I'm researching at). If the bears are in a mixed exhibit it would be especially awesome to see photos just to compare to the one I'll be studying.

Irritatingly there's only three zoos in the UK (that I know of) that have Andean bears - one is difficult for me to get to, one I'm studying at and the other I intend to visit in the summer but it's good to see others for comparison.
 
WickedWildlife said:
Excuse my australian ignorance, but what species would be suitable to house aloungside bears?
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It's Andean bears which are omnivores, but they're in an enclosure with tapirs, capybara, capuchins, asian short-clawed otters and spider monkeys. It's at South Lakes Wild Animal Park (see their thread for people's thoughts on this exhibit) and Yes I know what people on here think about that zoo! Had a length discussion about it last night!
 
FelidLover said:
It's Andean bears which are omnivores, but they're in an enclosure with tapirs, capybara, capuchins, asian short-clawed otters and spider monkeys. It's at South Lakes Wild Animal Park (see their thread for people's thoughts on this exhibit) and Yes I know what people on here think about that zoo! Had a length discussion about it last night!
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Welcome to zoochat!

As for where you are going to study Spectacled Bears,I'm sure it will broaden your views on the zoo world!!
 
Technically there are four UK collections Belfast, Chester, Jersey and South lakes :)
 
Al said:
Technically there are four UK collections Belfast, Chester, Jersey and South lakes :)
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Ah I forgot about Belfast - either way not that reachable for me!
Have now emailed chester zoo (again) to enquire specifically about bears so fingers crossed!

Thankyou for the lovely welcome from everyone :)
 
Welcome to ZooChat Christel! If I remember correctly, the Los Angeles Zoo exhibited Spectacled Bears for some years, and for a short time mixed them with coatis. Our resident LA Zoo expert, Michael, can probably comment on that mix. It was only for a short period back in the 1970s I believe.
 
Al said:
Technically there are four UK collections Belfast, Chester, Jersey and South lakes :)
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Perhaps I am being pedantic, but Jersey is a Crown dependency - not part of the UK, but represented by it internationally and defended by British forces. If I find any money from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man in my change I never pass it on, I just curse and put it on a shelf.
 
Various photos, from left to right:

Classic face markings that look like glasses (aka spectacles)
White faced bear (both rear paws - not visible here - also white)
Red morph bear (distinctively red face, but slightly red body, even though photo does not show it)
Bear swimming
 

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Perhaps Paddington Bear was a red-morph individual ;)
 
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